AV6K成人网 (AV) celebrates and supports all its staff who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community and is actively working to foster a more inclusive working environment and service for all.

AV6K成人网 celebrates and supports all its staff who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

IDAHOBIT, 17 May, marks 24 years since homosexuality was removed from the WHO Classification of Diseases.

However, statistics show there is more work to be done to eliminate discrimination.

• Almost 70 per cent of LGBTQIA+ employees in Australia are not out to everyone at work (2018).
• Two in three LGBTQIA+ youth experienced abuse due to their identity.
• 35 per cent of LGBTQIA+ Australians have experienced verbal abuse in the past 12 months.

AV offers staff the option to wear the 鈥榊ou鈥檙e safe with me鈥� inclusion badges, and name badges which can also sport individuals鈥� pronouns.

AV6K成人网 Paramedic Riley Murphy.

Eaglehawk Paramedic Riley Murphy said IDAHOBIT is a day to celebrate diversity, inclusivity and understanding, as well as highlighting the discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ communities.

鈥淏y celebrating diversity and educating each other, we can support at-risk communities and help reduce discrimination,鈥� Riley said.

鈥淏y highlighting these issues in our community, we can create a safe environment for all and help reduce the risk of suicide and mental health issues for the LGBTQIA+ community.”

AV6K成人网 can visit to learn more about IDAHOBIT Day and how to celebrate.

A ‘You’re Safe With Me’ pin.

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The heart-starting device will be located on the opposite side of the lake to the caravan park office, at the toilet block for Lake Boga campgrounds 501-523.听

It will be the first AED located on that side of the lake and will be available around the clock in case of a medical emergency.听

AV6K成人网 (AV) paramedic Holly Latter said the AED is set to be an important resource for residents and holidaymakers alike.听

鈥淎EDs are used to attempt to shock the heart back into rhythm following a cardiac arrest,鈥� she said.

AV paramedics Holly Latter and Alyce Wood present the new AED to Lake Boga Caravan Park owner Jason Stevens.

鈥淐ardiac arrest happens when a person鈥檚 heart suddenly stops beating and it can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere.听

鈥淢inutes matter in a cardiac arrest and the sooner a person receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation from an AED, the better their chances of survival.听

鈥淭he location of this new AED increases access to life saving equipment for tourists and locals, in case of a medical emergency at the holiday park, at a nearby home or around the lake.鈥�听

About 20 AV6K成人网 suffer a cardiac arrest every day and only one in 10 survive.听

The new AED is part of a targeted effort to improve cardiac arrest survival in Lake Boga, with the town part of the Heart Safe Communities initiative.听

The program is a year-long, joint initiative between AV and the Heart Foundation, which works to equip communities across the state with the skills to take life-saving action when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.听

It focuses on giving locals the confidence to save a life by using three simple steps: Call (call Triple Zero 000), Push (perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).听

鈥淭he new AED at the caravan park has been donated by AV as part of Lake Boga鈥檚 Heart Safe Communities program,鈥� Ms Latter said.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of a number of steps we鈥檝e taken to help the local community be prepared to help each other in case of a cardiac arrest.鈥�听

That includes several Call Push Shock training sessions, which AV ran with the support of Lake Boga community member Sue Donnelly.听

鈥淪ue has been a huge help in the Heart Safe Communities project,鈥� Ms Latter said.听

鈥淪he helped us organise the Call, Push, Shock sessions and shared her contacts to help us reach more community groups.听

鈥淪he is a lovely woman that is extremely committed to her community.鈥�听

Ms Latter said another focus of the Heart Safe Communities program has been encouraging locals to sign up as GoodSAM responders.听

鈥淕oodSAM is a life-saving smartphone app that connects AV6K成人网 in cardiac arrest with members of the community who are willing to start CPR in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive,鈥� she said.听

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to have to be first-aid qualified or have a medical background to sign up 鈥� you just need to be willing and able to do hands-only CPR, be over 18 years of age and have access to a smartphone.鈥�听

Lake Boga resident Greg Edwards has been a GoodSAM responder since the app launched in the town.听

The former truck driver always had an interest in first aid, learning about it in scouts and the army reserve, then putting the skills to use both in his career and as a volunteer.听

鈥淎s a truck driver, I unfortunately came across a lot of accidents where I was able to use my first aid knowledge,鈥� Mr Edwards said.听

鈥淚 also did volunteer first aid for a lot of local sporting events and ceremonies.听

鈥淚 used to live next door to someone from the Swan Hill ambulance branch and he told me about GoodSAM when it was starting up here 鈥� so as soon as it did, I signed up.鈥�听

Mr Edwards said he is motivated by a desire to give back to the community.听

鈥淚 always believed life can鈥檛 be a take-take situation 鈥� everyone鈥檚 got to give something back,鈥� he said.听

鈥淎nd the gift of life鈥檚 always a good one.鈥�听

Visit for more information.

听

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A new 24/7 AED is located at the football club rooms at Monbulk Recreational Reserve (9 Moores Rd, Monbulk) after being presented to the community yesterday.听

Murphy鈥檚 Mitre 10 (Monbulk Rd and Corner Main and Silvan Rd, Monbulk) also received a new cabinet so their existing AED can be stored outside the building, making it accessible to the public at any time.

AV6K成人网 Paramedic and Monbulk Heart Safe Community Program Lead, Jess Drummond (centre) presented Julie and Linda from Murphy鈥檚 Mitre 10 with a new AED cabinet yesterday, making the device accessible to the public 24/7.

AV6K成人网 (AV) Paramedic and Monbulk Heart Safe Community Program Lead, Jess Drummond, said making both AEDs accessible 24/7 was an important health boost for the town.听听

鈥淎EDs are used to shock the heart back into rhythm following a cardiac arrest 鈥� which is when a person鈥檚 heart suddenly stops beating,鈥� she said.听

鈥淐ardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anytime, and only one in 10 people will survive.听听

鈥淏ystander intervention makes a big difference 鈥� when a patient in cardiac arrest receives CPR and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival more than doubles.鈥�

AV’s Nadine Banna (left) and Monbulk Heart Safe Community Lead Jess Drummond (right) presented Monbulk Football Netball Club’s Jo Rutherford and Paula Hogan with a new AED last night.

Ms Drummond said anyone could use an AED regardless of whether they had received training.听

鈥淚f someone is in cardiac arrest and an AED is available, simply open it and follow the instructions,鈥� she said.听

鈥淭hey are safe and easy to use and will not deliver a shock unless necessary.鈥�听

Monbulk now has three 24/7 publicly accessible AEDs, but Ms Drummond said it would be great to see this number increase.听

鈥淚t would be fantastic to see more AEDs accessible 24/7 and be registered with AV (registermyaed.ambulance.vic.gov.au), to ensure Triple Zero (000) call-takers can direct people to them in an emergency,鈥� she said.

鈥淭he more people that know what to do in an emergency and have access to a defibrillator, the more lives can be saved.鈥�

The Heart Safe Communities program is a year-long, joint initiative between AV and the Heart Foundation, which equips communities across the state with the skills to take life-saving action when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

It aims to give locals the confidence to save a life by using three simple steps: Call (call Triple Zero 000), Push (perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).

There are 30 Heart Safe Communities across the state, and Monbulk is one of 12 towns currently completing the program.

Heart Foundation Victorian General Manager Chris Enright said the partnership with AV continues to help raise awareness and teach people what to do in cardiac arrest.

鈥淲e know how effective our Heart Safe Community program can be and how important it is for the local community to drive it to embed change at a grassroots level,鈥� she said.

鈥淯ltimately, we hope every Victorian community can be 鈥楬eart Safe鈥�.鈥�

Ms Drummond also encouraged people to sign up to the GoodSAM app, which is a life-saving smartphone app that connects AV6K成人网 in cardiac arrest with members of the community who are willing to start CPR in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be first aid qualified or have a medical background, you just need to be willing and able to do hands-only CPR, be over 18 years of age and have access to a smartphone,鈥� she said.

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The volunteer-run museum houses an extensive collection of vintage ambulances, medical equipment, uniforms, communications equipment and more.

Some of the museum鈥檚 more than 20 volunteers. L-R: Curator Ralph Casey, Bill Redpath, Mark Tyson, Secretary David Cawte, Bill Briggs, Treasurer Darrell Rintoule.

Museum Curator Ralph Casey said the Open Day would give the public a chance to see the progress that鈥檚 been made in pre-hospital emergency care since ambulance services started in Melbourne in the 1880s.听

鈥淵ou鈥檒l walk away with a better appreciation of the huge improvements in medical and communications technology and equipment that have been made,鈥� Mr Casey said.听听

鈥淰isitors are welcome to sit in the ambulances, take photos, touch the uniforms and to meld into what it was like in those times.听

鈥淢ost of our visitors go away in awe with an appreciation of what it was like in the past, and that鈥檚 exactly what a museum is meant to do.鈥�听

The museum, located in Bayswater, was the brainchild of a group of retired ambulance officers who formed the Ambulance Historic Society of Victoria in 1986.听听

The group began acquiring and restoring vintage ambulances, starting out with just six vehicles.听听

The fleet has since grown to 30, including the first Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance vehicle, a mass casualty bus and ambulance motorbikes.

The museum houses an extensive collection of vintage ambulances.

Museum treasurer Darrell Rintoule said the displays provide a terrific account of the state鈥檚 pre-hospital emergency care history.听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great example of where the ambulance service used to be to what it is now,鈥� the former paramedic said.听

鈥淎cross my time, I鈥檝e seen massive changes and all for the better for patient outcomes.鈥�听

More than 20 volunteers, many of them ex-paramedics, help run the museum.听

The full museum collection will be on display this Sunday 14 April, from 10am to 2pm at 1/55 Barry St, Bayswater VIC 3153.

Open Day entry is free but attendees can make a donation, enter a raffle or purchase items for sale to support the museum.

Guided tours and light refreshments will be available, and families are encouraged to attend.

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More than a year on, a series of portraits taken by Cam Matheson, titled 鈥�An Item of Connection鈥�, will be unveiled at the Shepparton Festival to help share the stories of local people impacted by the floods and showcase an item that symbolises their experience.

AV6K成人网 Paramedic Educator Adrian Pensak had his portrait taken with the waders he wore during the October 2022 floods.

AV Paramedic Educator Adrian Pensak is one of several emergency workers who shared his story as part of the project; prompted to reflect on what that time was like for himself, his family and the community.

When asked about the floods, Adrian said he can still picture the water-filled streets, destroyed homes, and the mammoth clean-up effort required afterwards.

However, he said an overwhelming sense of community spirit and teamwork overshadowed all the devastation.

鈥淓veryone was just one big team for the whole four weeks – it was a great joint effort,鈥� he said.

鈥淚n our spare time we would go to the showgrounds and help fill sandbags. Our Team Managers were very supportive and encouraged us to help wherever we could.鈥�

Adrian was one of the emergency workers who responded to the Shepparton floods and offered his home to displaced AV employees.

During the challenging time, Adrian and his family offered their home to other AV staff who were displaced due to the rising water levels.

What started out as a simple gesture ended in Adrian and his family providing much needed help to about seven paramedics who had nowhere else to go.

While housing that many people in one home could be overwhelming, Adrian said they quickly started to feel like family.

鈥淲e made the best of a bad situation because we were essentially trapped,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e brought mattresses in from the caravan and allocated one room to the men and one to the women, with my family staying in the master bedroom.

鈥淭hey stayed for about a week and during that time we were all playing board games, we鈥檇 bring out the guitars and play music and they鈥檇 help out with cooking meals.

鈥淥ur home was open to everyone.鈥�

Adrian said it was a 鈥渟urreal鈥� time unlike anything he had experienced.

鈥淚 remember the sheer number of roads that were closed and the people who were trapped. At one stage, Shepparton was basically cut off for two weeks,鈥� he said.

鈥淒uring our scouting missions to see which roads were open we would speak to farmers to show our presence and let them know they were not alone.

鈥淭he weather was basically changing hour by hour and for two weeks everything was unknown.鈥�

The October 2022 floods saw many streets in Shepparton closed due to flood waters.

The ever-changing conditions also created challenges for paramedics.

鈥淚t was a different type of busy because we had a scout vehicle to check if we could get to different areas of town and which roads were open,鈥� Adrian said.

鈥淵ou had to be extra vigilant and careful, especially when driving at night because of the reflections in the water.

鈥淲e also went to the emergency hubs every day to see what the current conditions were like.鈥�

When the water levels dropped locals were presented with a new challenge – the clean-up.

鈥淭he disaster afterwards was surreal,鈥� Adrian said.

鈥淚t was astounding to see the impact the flooding had on everything including the roads where you could feel the spring in the asphalt from the water sitting underneath.鈥�

Adrian said the whole community came together and helped with the recovery effort, a characteristic that makes him proud to be a local.

鈥�An Item of Connection鈥� will be open to the public as part of the Shepparton Festival from 5 鈥� 21 April.

鈥橝n Item of Connection鈥� is a Shepparton Festival project generously funded by Greater Shepparton Foundation and the Australian and Victorian Governments in response to the October 2022 flood event which impacted communities in Greater Shepparton.

More information on the exhibition can be found .

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Four years on, Ash鈥檚 account, ashs.backyardgarden, has amassed more than 170 thousand followers, with the level of interest still taking him by surprise.

鈥淚 still remember thinking it was unbelievable when there was 100 people following my page,鈥� Ash said.

鈥淐reating the account and getting in front of the camera has been a great opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone as I鈥檓 naturally a more quiet and reserved person.鈥�

AV6K成人网 paramedic Ash Burke shares gardening tips and tricks on his Instagram account.

Ash joined AV as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic 10 years ago and spent five years working on road in the Grampians and Barwon South West regions.

He then moved into a role within AV鈥檚 Rosters Department where he is now in a Resourcing Lead position.

Ash said his interest in gardening stemmed from a love of the outdoors and an outlet to relieve stress.

鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly a way to take my mind off work, which as paramedics can be really important,鈥� he said.

Based in Geelong, Ash鈥檚 garden is 70sqm, with dozens of seasonal vegetables, fruit trees, composting systems, a beehive and chickens.

Ash said he aims to make suburban backyard gardening accessible to anyone.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very achievable, when I started the veggie garden I was a paramedic with no horticultural, building or trades experience,鈥� Ash said.

鈥淚t started as a bare patch of dirt and now we grow a significant portion of what we eat.

鈥淚鈥檓 continually learning, and over the years we鈥檝e been able to create balance by incorporating things like companion planting to avoid the use of any nasty chemicals in the garden.鈥�

Ash’s garden is 70 sqm with dozens of seasonal vegetables, fruit trees, composting systems, a beehive, and chickens.

Ash said it was rewarding to have followers share updates from their own gardens.

鈥淚鈥檝e had quite a few people reach out to me about their projects after being inspired by what I鈥檝e done and it鈥檚 become a real little community,鈥� he said.

On average, Ash will spend around four hours a week in the garden, often assisted by his children.

As the weather cools down, Ash is busy removing the last of his summer vegetables and planting new seedlings for winter.

鈥淔uture plans include extending the garden and adding some raised wicking beds to grow more flowers,鈥� Ash said.

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Bulleen Advanced Life Support (ALS) Paramedic Salvatore Primerano picked up the scissors and hairdryer during his annual leave recently, setting up a temporary salon at the Templestowe branch.

ALS paramedic Salvatore Primerano with teammates at the Templestowe Branch.

Previously a hairdresser for more than 30 years, Salvatore provided haircuts and styling for his teammates over three days to raise money and awareness for Amyloidosis.

His wife Hazel was diagnosed with the complex and incurable disease in 2022 and is currently undergoing treatment.

Amyloidosis means amyloid deposits, known as protein, accumulate in tissues and organs of the body and can eventually lead to organ failure.

Salvatore said most people had never heard of the rare disease.

鈥淲e had never heard of it, and it came without any warning,鈥� Salvatore said.

鈥淗azel initially lost a heap of weight, and it was only after follow up tests that we received the diagnosis.

鈥淭here is a lot of work being done in this space and I wanted to raise awareness and help provide support for patients and also their family members, who are also greatly impacted.鈥�

Salvatore provided cutting and styling for 13 colleagues, using products donated by Davines Australia.

His efforts paid off, raising more than $800 over three days.

Bulleen Team Manager Oliver Forbes said the fundraiser was a huge success and a lot of fun.

鈥淲e were all only too happy to support Salvatore鈥檚 efforts and help highlight the impact of Amyloidosis,鈥� he said.

鈥淎nd thanks to him, we鈥檝e never looked better.鈥�

Salvatore, a father of two, made a major career change when he turned 50.

鈥淚 had always been interested in becoming an ambo, and when my kids had finished their university study, they helped me through the application process,鈥� Salvatore said.

鈥淚 love it, and a fair bit of it isn鈥檛 that dissimilar to hairdressing.

鈥淎 lot of this job is having a conversation with your patients and reassuring them, which can make a big difference to their situation and distracting them from what is happening.鈥�

Funds raised will be donated to the (AAN) which provides training for medical professionals and support for patients and their families.

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Brian Pike reached the impressive milestone on 7 March, after beginning his career as an ambulance officer on that day in 1984.听

鈥淭he 7th of March 1984 was the day of the Moomba Parade,鈥� Brian said.听

鈥淚 went to Moomba first, watched the parade and then went across to the ambulance training centre in Vale Street, East Melbourne, to begin my career.听

鈥淚 was in class 25C and met 17 other new recruits from across the state, including another from Mildura, John Williams, who retired from AV just last year.鈥�听

Now working as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic, Brian said the job has been special.

Brian Pike at a celebration to mark his 40-year anniversary at AV.

鈥淚 always found heading off to work interesting and enjoyable, so 40 years has flashed by,鈥� he said.听听

鈥淭he most enjoyable part of the job for me is meeting people and learning their stories, both my colleagues and the public.听

鈥淚 enjoy the kudos that comes with being in a position where people rely on you and are comfortable with you coming into their homes and assisting them.听

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know of too many occupations where you can go into someone鈥檚 house and start asking them questions and for them to be comfortable to give you the answers.听听

鈥淭hat to me is a privilege and a responsibility.鈥�听

Brian started out his career at the age of 24, with no medical experience.听

At the time, becoming a paramedic 鈥� or an ambulance officer 鈥� involved regular month-long stints of study in Melbourne plus on the road training at the location where the individual applied for a job.听

鈥淚 had some friends who were already in the ambulance service and they said it was a very good occupation,鈥� Brian said.听

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have experience but I was already in another emergency service, as a volunteer with the CFA, so I had that emergency service mindset.鈥�听

Brian remains a CFA volunteer 鈥� where he is due to celebrate 50 years of service.听

Across his 40 years with AV, Brian has held a number of different roles, such as Health Commander at several events including the Red Hot Summer Tour, Mildura ski races and the local bushfire command centre.听

He鈥檚 always worked across north-western Victoria, never far from his hometown of Mildura, which he said brought challenges at times.听

鈥淎 lot of people I go to assist, I already know,鈥� he explained.听

鈥淚t can be a difficult situation if you respond to a case involving someone you鈥檙e related to or that you know well.听

鈥淗owever, I鈥檝e enjoyed it from the start and throughout my 40 years, the work has been very positive.鈥�

Brian Pike.

Now at the back end of his career, Brian sees his role as that of a mentor to his younger colleagues.听

鈥淚 enjoy working with them 鈥� our current clinical standard through the university course is exceptional,鈥� he said.听

鈥淭he one thing my younger peers lack is experience, which can only come with time.听听

鈥淚 see my role as to be there to offer a bit of advice in certain situations, and otherwise to hang back out of the way and support them.鈥�听

Brian said he鈥檚 beginning his 鈥渢ransition鈥� to retirement, but that it鈥檚 not really on the cards just yet.听

鈥淚鈥檓 still enjoying being fully involved on the road as a paramedic,鈥� he said.听

鈥淥ne of the things I haven鈥檛 quite come to terms with is what I鈥檓 going to do when I鈥檓 retired and not having the ability to go into AV and do what I do.听听

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 one of the big things for a lot of us retiring paramedics, that it鈥檚 been such a lifetime experience.鈥�听

The post Four decades on the road for Mildura paramedic appeared first on AV6K成人网.

Neil, 81, recently retired from AV6K成人网 following a remarkable 48-year career which saw him work across some of ambulance鈥檚 most esteemed services including the Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) unit and Air Ambulance.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 looking for a career as a paramedic; it wasn鈥檛 something I ever aspired to,鈥� Neil said with a smile.

Neil treating a patient early in his career as an 鈥淎mbulance Officer鈥� (left). Neil farewelled colleagues at MICA 6 after retiring in January 2024 following 48 years of service (right).

However, the instability of a rural recession proved to be the catalyst that prompted Neil to seek a career change following short stints as a farm worker and mechanic.

鈥淚 thought being an 鈥楢mbulance Officer鈥� – as paramedics were known as at the time – was all about selling subscriptions to farmers. But my wife was a nurse at a local hospital and one of her co-workers鈥� partners was working at ambulance, so I thought maybe I鈥檇 investigate it,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 remember walking into the local Leongatha ambulance branch. They said they had no vacancies, but three weeks later I ended up getting a call for an interview. The rest, as they say, is history.鈥�

What followed for Neil was a rigid training process including years of study and on the job experience 鈥� a career shift which helped him develop a tenacious work ethic.

This held him in good stead as he embraced the ever-evolving changes for paramedics with technology and clinical advancements over the years.

Starting with the South Gippsland District Ambulance Service in 1975, Neil studied and went out on road for the first time, quickly earning his three stripes on his uniform which marked his qualification as an Ambulance Officer.

He honed his patient-facing service work over the next decade, before transferring across to Ambulance Service Melbourne (ASM) when rural ambulance merged.

Neil said stability and a clear career path with room to grow was what attracted him to his new venture, but the daily challenge of the unpredictable work was what kept him on his toes right through to retirement.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the unknown – you never know what is going to happen next, or what challenge you鈥檒l be presented with,鈥� Neil said.

鈥淭he ability to do something for people when they鈥檙e in dire straits and make a difference in someone else鈥檚 life is something I always enjoyed.”

It wasn鈥檛 long before Neil chased the thrill of his next challenge, working and studying to become a MICA paramedic in November 1988.

He reflects fondly on his time stationed out of MICA 1 where he regularly performed higher duty roles but said the nature of the work also presented traumatic and complex cases.

鈥淚 feel very fortunate to have worked where I have. There鈥檚 no doubt that MICA has always been regarded as a frontrunner in clinical practice,鈥� he said.

鈥淵ou treat someone and deliver someone to the hospital as best you can, and the reality is you never hear from them about what happens next.

鈥淚 know there鈥檚 been people who I鈥檝e revived from cardiac arrests who have gone on to live a healthy life, go back to work, go back to their families. It doesn鈥檛 happen to everyone, but to a lucky few. We do the best we can.鈥�

Retired MICA paramedic Neil Burden checks his Cessna 404 (also known as a 鈥楥essna Titan鈥�) while working on Air Ambulance鈥檚 fixed wing aircraft in 1996.

In 1993 his paramedic career reached new heights yet again when he became a Paramedic Air Attendant onboard Air Ambulance鈥檚 Rotary and Fixed Wing aircraft.

From the role of Paramedic Air Attendant, he climbed the ranks to become Flight Coordinator – a title he held for six years.

鈥淲hen I started with Air, the police were providing us with the helicopter at the time, so it was quite common to do a police officer work as well. That was a bit of excitement, suddenly being involved in car chases and that type of thing,鈥� he said.

Having rotated through Rural Ambulance, Peninsula Ambulance, Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Air Ambulance and MICA, Neil said the changes he saw over the duration of his career were remarkable.

鈥淭here was just constant updating, constant re-learning, constant training. The role of the paramedic has evolved enormously, it was almost unrecognisable at the end of my career,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he good that paramedics can do now is enormous. Clinically, I can only look at its development in a positive light.鈥�

While there are many career highlights for Neil, there are cases with tough outcomes that he said would always stick with him, too.

Neil credits his love for physical exercise, often alongside or in the water, as one of the ways he helped to balance the physical and mental demands of working in an emergency service.

Neil鈥檚 last shift out on road was during the challenging COVID period in 2021, with his official retirement earlier this year from his role out of MICA 6 as a single responder.

鈥淚 liked the work and just never thought that far ahead,鈥� Neil said.

鈥淚 like going to work, I like the people I work with. The relationship between paramedics at the same depot can be quite deep.鈥�

AV MICA paramedic and colleague Keryn Walker described Neil鈥檚 length of service as 鈥渕agnificent鈥�.

鈥淣eil finished service at MICA 6 as a single responder MICA paramedic. Neil was a fantastic mentor to many MICA paramedics who had the pleasure of working with him,鈥� Keryn said.

鈥淗e has great wit, remarkable knowledge and did it all with a smile on his face. We are so proud to have worked with him, and mostly call him our friend.鈥�

Neil was congratulated and farewelled by his team at MICA 6 in January this year and said his parting advice to fellow paramedics was to appreciate everyone and never stop learning.

鈥淵ou can always learn something from the paramedic next to you, whether they鈥檙e straight out of University or they鈥檝e been around for years,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 also important to understand that everyone will make mistakes. Acknowledge your mistakes, correct what you can and never do it again. Everyone is human and mistakes will happen.鈥�

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Sam was presented with his award for his service to the Mitta Mitta community where he has worked as an ACO for the past five years.

Sam Beggs (centre) with current and previous AV employees

ACOs are first responders, employed by AV6K成人网 on a casual basis to work on call and support qualified paramedics in rural and regional communities. Prior to the formation of AV6K成人网 in 2008, ACOs worked on a volunteer basis.

Sam said he joined as an ACO because he saw the need in the community and wanted to step in and help.

鈥淎 friend of the family had been an ACO and tapped me on the shoulder for the role because they needed more people to help out,鈥� Sam said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a rewarding role 鈥� every job you respond to is different, but you鈥檙e always there helping someone in their time of need.鈥�

Jo Brookes Towong Paramedic Community Support Coordinator said that Sam is a highly respected member of the Mitta Mitta ACO team.

鈥淚t was great to see Sam being recognised for the many roles he has in the Mitta Valley Community,鈥� Jo said.

Sam said that while it was nice to receive the recognition it鈥檚 not the reason, he does the job.

鈥淚 joined to help the community and that鈥檚 the most important thing to me.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a rewarding role, and I recommend anyone who is interested to consider joining.鈥�

Find out more about Ambulance Community Officers.

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